Method of Retrieving Information for a Motor Vehicle

• US 20120116659A1
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yuasa, Go
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

A method of receiving information for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The method includes retrieving stored traffic information from a database and determining a communication period for receiving current traffic information from a service provider based on the stored traffic information. The method also includes receiving current traffic information simultaneously with other non-traffic information when the non-traffic information is being requested in order to limit the number of instances of communication with the service provider.

Claims

1. A method of receiving information for a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving a current location for the motor vehicle;

retrieving stored traffic information for the current location from a database;

requesting current traffic information from a service provider, the service provider being located outside of the motor vehicle;

setting a communication cycle with the service provider to a first communication period when there is a first type of traffic congestion, and setting the communication cycle with the service provider to a second communication period when there is a second type of traffic congestion, the second type of traffic congestion being different than the first type of traffic congestion; and

wherein the first communication period is longer than the second communication period.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first type of traffic congestion is associated with less traffic congestion than the second type of traffic congestion.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first type of traffic congestion is associated with a lower variability of traffic congestion than the second type of traffic congestion.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the database can be updated using received traffic information from the service provider.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the database can be updated using sensed traffic information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the sensed traffic information includes vehicle speed information.

7. A method of receiving information for a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving operating information about one or more systems of the motor vehicle;

initiating a communication cycle with a service provider for receiving a first type of information, the communication cycle occurring at a first communication period;

determining if a second type of information is being requested from the service provider, the second type of information being different from the first type of information;

preventing the first type of information from being retrieved at the first communication period when the second type of information is being requested; and

receiving the first type of information with the second type of information.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first type of information is traffic information.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second type of information is weather information.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second type of information is point of interest information.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second type of information is stock price information.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of receiving the first type of information with the second type of information is followed by a step of receiving the first type of information at the first communication period.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second type of information is requested by a user.

14. A method of receiving information for a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving operating information about one or more systems of the motor vehicle;

initiating a communication cycle with a service provider for receiving a first type of information, the communication cycle occurring at a first communication period;

retrieving a first time corresponding to the end of the first communication period;

determining if a second type of information is being requested from the service provider, the second type of information being different from the first type of information, and wherein the second type of information is scheduled to be received at a second time that is substantially different from the first time; and

receiving the first type of information at the first time if the first type of information is the only type of information currently being requested;

receiving the first type of information at the second time if the second type of information is being requested from the service provider thereby receiving the first type of information with the second type of information.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first type of information is traffic information.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first time occurs before the second time.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first time occurs after the second time.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the second type of information is requested by a user of the motor vehicle.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first communication cycle is determined according to stored traffic information associated with an onboard database.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the method limits the total instances of communication with the service provider in a given time period.